Cardiff psychology graduate wins national dissertation award

Cardiff University psychology graduate, Lily Hickman, has won a prestigious national award for her outstanding undergraduate research in environmental psychology.

Lily, who recently graduated after studying BSc Psychology with Professional Placement at the School of Psychology, has received the Jonathan Sime Award—an annual UK-wide prize recognising significant contribution to people-environment studies in an undergraduate dissertation.

Her project, Place Attachment and Pro-Environmental Behaviour across Place Scales: a study of home and university city among undergraduate students, explored how students’ emotional ties to their home and university cities affect their environmental actions. It also examined how identifying as a ‘resident’ or ‘tourist’ shaped these behaviours.

The award, established in memory of environmental psychologist Jonathan Sime, celebrates originality, quality of research, and relevance to people-environment relationships. Open to students from any British university, it includes a cash prize for both the winner and runner-up.

Reflecting on her achievement, Lily said:

“I’m absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured to receive this year’s Jonathan Sime Award! Working on my undergraduate project in Environmental Psychology was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I’m truly grateful for all the guidance and support I received along the way.”

Her supervisor, Professor Jñānadāsa Buehner from Cardiff University’s School of Psychology, praised her commitment and the impact of her work:

“Lily has been an exceptionally diligent and hard-working student, and a genuine pleasure to supervise. Her project explored how students’ emotional bonds to home and university cities shape their environmental behaviours—a timely and meaningful contribution to our understanding of sustainability in transient populations.

This award, which recognises outstanding undergraduate research in people-environment relationships, is richly deserved. It’s a privilege to guide students like Lily in creating work that matters, and I look forward to learning what she will do next.”

Lily is currently taking a well-earned break to go interrailing across Europe before returning to pursue her passion for educational psychology.

“Once I return home, I’m eager to pursue my interest in educational psychology by gaining further experience and working towards a relevant qualification as I begin building my career in the field,” Lily added.

This award not only celebrates Lily’s exceptional achievement but also highlights the School of Psychology’s support for student-led research on timely and impactful topics.

You can read the abstract of Lily’s award-winning dissertation on the University of Surrey Jonathan Sime Award website.

Congratulations to Lily on this fantastic achievement!